Opportunity Culture in the Media

This research paper by Dr. Deborah Walker and Barb Myerson-Katz on how to elevate the teaching profession examines two broad categories largely under the control of individual districts and schools – opportunities for ongoing professional learning, feedback and collaboration, and opportunities for differentiated teacher roles and leadership that facilitate career advancement and address teacher and student needs. The authors feature Opportunity Culture as one example of a research-based, comprehensive model aimed at boosting student learning by transforming teacher roles throughout a school. Read the paper online here or download a PDF version here.

Published on The 74, April 24, 2017, by Multi-Classroom Leader Erin Burns

What does the start of a school turnaround look like? When Mark Johnson left West Charlotte High School as his Teach for America stint ended, he likely could not have imagined a bright future for the school. I arrived a year later, in 2009. The high-poverty, highly segregated school was struggling, and I stayed only one year.

But my heart didn’t leave West Charlotte. When I had the chance to return in 2014 and make a difference as a teacher-leader, I jumped on it — I wanted to help spark a turnaround. This year, when Johnson, now North Carolina’s new state superintendent, visited, he said he saw “a different world over here.”

When he taught at the school, he explained as I showed him around, the “team” of instructors teaching earth sciences had exactly one meeting during two years. I remembered the mindset then: in my first year at West Charlotte, a co-worker threw a box at me for asking if I could have access to the supply closet to look for lab materials. And my mentor teacher’s best — only — advice for classroom management? Yell louder.

But now, three years after I returned, the school’s science wing is calm, students are learning and showing growth, and teachers collaborate daily.

Here’s how it happened. West Charlotte was once one of the top schools in the country and a model of a well-integrated student body. But by 2009 it had come to feel like a school left behind. Teachers were poorly supported and grew discouraged or apathetic, which in turn led to student indifference and disengagement from schoolwork. [Read more…]

You’ve probably read an article with a headline like this. Why say it again? Because class-size reduction continues to be so seductive. Our own state of North Carolina is just the latest in which policymakers have succumbed, causing a political firestorm this winter. Here it’s Republicans, but Democrats have heard the same call elsewhere. We thought we’d remind policymakers why they need to avoid the temptation.

Unlike many education issues, this one isn’t just a matter of opinion. Florida spent billions on class-size reduction with no positive impact on student results. A statewide study of Connecticut elementary schools found no statistically significant impact of class sizes.

But we understand why the concept still ensnares people. Surveys of teachers and parents alike reveal a lot of support for it: It makes common sense that teachers can more easily succeed with smaller classes. And some rigorous research suggests that dramatically reducing class sizes from the typical low-mid 20s to the 13–17 range has a positive effect on student learning in the K–3 years. (There’s no strong evidence of the value of small classes in grades 4+).

Our series of columns for The 74, whose motto is 74 Million Kids. 74 Million Reasons to Talk Education, will come from Opportunity Culture educators eager to share what their jobs are like, the differences they make for students, and the lessons they’ve learned as they extend the reach of their great teaching to many more students.

“We and these great teachers are grateful for the chance to share — because we’re all tired of reading columns about what should be done in education, when we know that something amazing is already happening. In the columns to follow, teachers will tell you how they’re getting to “amazing” in this financially sustainable, scalable, teacher-loving initiative designed to help all students excel,” write Public Impact Co-Directors Emily Ayscue Hassel and Bryan C. Hassel in the first column in this series.

This column first appeared on EducationNC on February 23, 2018.
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This column was first published on The 74 on February 13, 2018.
In survey after survey, teachers report dissatisfaction with the professional development they receive. Many aren’t satisfied with their professional learning communities or coaching opportunities. Teachers say they want more … Read more...

This column first appeared on EducationNC on February 7, 2018.
I recently sat down to talk with my principal about why the multi-classroom leader role has proved so crucial when midyear turnover leaves a teaching team short, or with a long-term substitute.
My journey in education … Read more...